Printing press



- 0t.2s,'1947.\ R,. ;FR,E, 2,429,874

- PRINTING PRESS Y.

Filed Dec. 2l,` 1944 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 ooooodoopoao 4m .sa 4f v u u /2 ol UUHUM u 36 5./ 2 o 2- 0 if'. 8] 525 a] 8- lI 5o I 0 In l2 D /9 I i 2 lJ4 l' umnumnmn PRINTING PRESS Filed Dec. 21, 1944 2 sheets-shet PatentedOct. 28, 1947 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE PRINTING PRESS v Roy L.lli'riel, Chicago, Ill.

Application December 21, 1944, Serial No. 569,205

3 Claims.

This invention relates to self-feeding automatic presses. and isparticularly directed to modifica tions of the chase supporting andfeed-control devices, to adapt the same to making multiple duplicationsof imprints of the same type matter on each sheet of paper in the courseci a single run of the press.

The main objects of this invention are to provide in self -feedingautomatic printing presses i1nproved mechanism for supporting andshifting the type chase or equivalent printing plate; to provideimproved means for coordinating the type matter with respect to thevplaten so that successive impression engagements that are made by`relative movement of the type matter and platen will be made atdiierent locations within the area ci the platen surface and to controlthe sheet feed".

impressions; and to provide improved devices,=

for accomplishing the aforesaid objects, in the form of attachmentslthat canv be readily applied toexisting printing presses whereby, bysimple adjustments, the press may be adapted for making either single ormultiple imprints per sheet.

Aspeciie embodiment oik this invention is illustrated in theaccompanying drawings in. which; Figure 1 is a perspectiveront: View ofa. sei-i feeding automatic printing press modied in accordance with thepresent invention, some oi the parts being partly broken away forclearness oi illustration, and to: disclose lparts that Vare otherwisehidden.

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary detail in perspective of the chase shiftingmecl'ianisrn.

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary perspective View showing the relation of theplatenoi the printing press with respect to the stock magazine, thedelivery table andthe paper-.feedand delivery bars. In the form shown inthe drawings, the bed I of the press has rigidly mounted thereon' a pairof parallel guide bars 2 whose inwardly facing edges are planed to formV-shaped guideways 3 ben tween which is slidably mounted a, U-shaped.slide framel 4 which `supports the type-carrying chase 5. rEhe side barsof the frame 4 are rabbeted to. receive projecting flanges 5.I on themargins oi the chase 5, which consists of a frame with a thin backingplate 5.2. The slide frame d is supported by a vertically slidableelevator bar E which has a pair of depending arms 'l and whicl'xtogether with its arms 'l is vertically slidable over the bed I betweenthe bars 2.

Slight adjustment between the elevator bar 6 and the chase supportingframe 4 can be had by means vof set screws. 8 which extendlongitudinally through the upright arms of the frame 4 andrest theelevator bar 6; The set screws 8 are threaded into nuts 8.I set into theframe 4. The set screws 8 have heads 8.2 by which they are turnedforaccurate adjustment of the height of the chase 5.

The arms 'I are supported by lever arms 9 which are fast on acountershaft Il) journaled on frame bars il which are rigidly attachedto and in effeet a part of the main supporting frame of the press. f

Athird lever arm I3 is fast on the shaft I!)y and carries a roller I4which rides on a cam I5 hav'- ing dwell surfaces IG, Il and I8 atdiierent elevations. The radii of these dwell surfaces are proportionedwith respect to the arms I3 and 9 so that the chase will be supported atthree different elevations represented in Figure 1 by the line I9, beingthe bottom of the chase 5, and the broken lines ISH. and Mil.

The cam shaft 2i! is driven by a sprocket chain 2i and sprockets 22 and23 from a eountershaft 2t which in turn is driven by a sprocket wheel 25and sprocket chain 2Q; by a sprocket wheel on the main drive shaft 2l ofthe press. The dimensions ci thev various sprocket wheels are such thatthe shaft 24 will makey one revolution during each printing operationofthe press and theY shaft 2li will make a fractional part of a revolutionfor each printing operation of the press.

Thus the chase will be' moved cyCl-ically to the three successivepositions indicated by the lines t9, Niel and I9.2 and back from theposition IS.2 -to the position I9 so that in the particular embodimentshown, the type'matter that is set up in the chase 5 will be impressedin these three different locations repeatedly in the same order insuccessive operations of the machine.

In the particular machine shown, the platen 28 rocks` from a position inwhich it is shown in Eig. 3y to a position parallel with the face of thetype matter in the chase 5 prior to each impression conta-ct with thetype and rocks back to the position, in which it is shown in Fig, 3between each printing impression.

The paper-feed mechanism comprises a feed 'bar 29 provided with suctiontips 30 for lifting the paper sheets. The feed bar 29 is adiustablymounted on an arm 3| carried by a rocker arm 32 which, by means ofappropriate mechanism not illustrated in detail, causes the feed bar 29to pick up a sheet from the stock pile 33 of the stock magazine 34 andcarry it to its proper position on the platen as illustrated in Fig. 3.

The elements 29, 3| and 32 are hollow and the suction is controlled by avalve 35, Fig. 1, which renders vacuum cups active or rinactiveaccording to the position of the stem 36 on the valve 35. Similarly, thedelivery of a printed sheet 31 from the platen to the delivery table 38is accomplished by means of a delivery bar 39 equipped with sucker tips49 and carried by an arm 4i on the extensible rocker arm 42 and likewisecontrolled by a valve 43 having an operating stem 44, whereby the suckertips are rendered active or inactive, according to the needs of thepress.

Normally in the existing press, the valve stems 35 and 44 are operatedby mechanism, not shown, actuated by cams on shaft-45 driven by a'gear46 which makes one revolution during each printing operation of thepress.

In order to adapt the operation of the valves 35 and 43 to the multipleprinting impressions to be accomplished by the shifting of the chasethrough its cycle of positions hereinbefore described, the valveoperating mechanism actuated by the cam on the shaft 45 is supplementedby levers 47 and 48 which are fulcrumed on shaft 49 and actuated by cams50 and 5I on a counter shaft 52 driven by a gear 53 which meshes with apinion 54 on the shaft 45. The cams 50 and 5| thus function to preventthe valves 35 and'43 from activating the sucker tips of delivery andVfeed bars 39 and 29, except at the completion of the whole series ofimprints on any sheet.

The ratio of the gear 53 and pinion 54 is such as will correspond withthe number of printing positions of the chase 5 which in the presentinstance is three, so that the shaft 52 makes one revolution for eachthree revolutions of the shaft 45. The cams 50 and 5I are so shaped andpositioned on the shaft 52 that the suction tips 39 and 40 of thepaper-feed and delivery bars will be activated only oncefor each threesuccessive printing operations of the pressA and a sheet 31 will beremoved from the platen after it has received the three successive'imprints corresponding to the different positions of the chase. y

As a printed sheet 3'! is removed from the platen by the delivery bar39, a fresh sheet will be delivered from the stock pile 33 to the platenby the feed bar 29. v v

The operation of the device shown is as follows:

During the operation of the machine, the driving mechanism causes theplaten 28 to rock to the position in which it is shown in Fig. 3 betweeneach printing impression and while in that position, the feed bar 29 anddelivery bar 39 make the necessary movements to remove the printed sheetfrom the platen and supply a new sheet; but the valves 35 and 43activate the sucker tips only at times when the platen is in theposition shown in Fig. 3, after the sheet has had three successiveimprints made thereon. Between these intervals, the cam l5 causes thechase 5 to pass cyclically through its three positions in one directionand then back to thel starting point.

Although the foregoing description and drawings are specic to a singleembodiment of this invention, it will be understood that numerousdetails of the construction shown may be altered f from and to saidplaten, and means coordinated with said cyclic movements of the chase toactivate said sucker tips at one stage only in each cycle of movementsof said chase.

2. In a printing press of the Gordon type, a chase-holding slideway, achase slidable along said slideway to a plurality of successive printingpositions, a platen movable to and from printing relation with saidchase in all said positions, mechanism for intermittently shifting saidchase cyclically through said successive printing positions and back, intimed relation to repeated movements of said platen, pneumaticsheet-feeding means comprising normally inactive sucker tips for liftingthe sheets, and valve-operating timing meansgeared tosaid chase-shiftingmechanism whereby said sucker tips are activated at one stage only ineach cycle of movements of said chase.

3. In a printing press of the Gordon type, a slidable chase shiftablecyclically to a plurality of positions, a lever controlling the positionof said chase, a cam actuating said lever and having successive dwellsurfaces for holding said chase stationary in its successive positionsand having an intermediate surface acting on said lever to cause thereturn of said chase from one limit to the other limit of its movement,a platen, sheet-feeding means comprising sheet-lifting sucker tips,means for supplying vacuum to activate said sucker tips including valvemeans, cam means controlling said valve means, said firstnamed cam andsaid cam meansbeing operatively connected so as to cause said cam meansto cut off the vacuum from said sucker tips while said chase controllever is coacting with said dwell surfaces of its said cam and to supplysuch vacuum when said lever is coacting with said intermediate surfaceof its said cam.

ROY L. FRIEL,

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the le ofthis patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 515,566 Whitehead Feb.'27, 18941,211,459 Lee Jan. 9, 1917 1,405,513 Hughes Feb. 7, 1922 1,492,871 SmartMay 6, 1924 1,754,361 Hubbard Apr. 15, 1930 1,833,937 Elliott Dec. 1,1931 2,036,259 Curtis Apr. 7, 1936 2,362,134 Honig Nov. 7, 1944

